Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Logic IS relative

I am still feeling sick from the bombings. What is the death count now... 74 plus. All in the name of what? Fundamentalism and other kinds of isms.

Ok. The perceived lack of logic still irks me. I have to remember that 'logic is a perception'. Someone asked me about that.... well, my answer is, my 'logic' is someone else's illogic. I am sure the Al Shabaab guys from Somalia think it was very logical to kill 74 people from another country. Civilians watching a football match.

And, guess what, they must have knelt down and prayed to their god for a good operation. Those who wore the suicide vests believe that they are now holy martyrs?

The fact that they most likely faced Mecca for that last prayer is besides the point. I am sure there were Moslems amongst those who died and were maimed by the bombs.

Is their a sickness of mind greater than this kind of perversion? Ask the 74 who died.

~

To my usual fair. It is hard for me to believe that people can be friends with Martin Ssempa.

Friends with dear Ps. Dr. 'eat da poo poo' Ssempa?

That can be kind of hard, when you are aware of his abundant, less than Christian witness. He says it is Christian, and he is a celebrity and wowed in Uganda. But, his western friends have a bit of reconciling to do with the obvious lack of consistence in words and deeds. Or it might be the obvious fidelity of words to deeds in some....

A matter of opinion? Ssempa thinks that the Americans evangelists who run away from him are wimps. I am not American, and my interest in the American religious scene and cultural wars has not been much till the last nine months or so, but I do understand the less than nuanced difference between naked hate speech and what is politically correct. And, of course I am well aware of credentials tout 'HIV activism' with a rabid anti-gay stance.

What am I going on about? A friend of one of Ssempa's friends has terminated their co-operation because of the latter's association with Ssempa.

Understandable. If you are working with gay men on HIV issues, it would not be a nice thing to be friends with Ssempa who hates gay men. Here is the link.

Southern Nevada Health District severed ties with Canyon Ridge Christian Church over their support for Martin Ssempa

"His heart is not to kill people," Odor says. "He is a pastor of the Gospel that believes in redemption and his heart is to redeem people."

Odor says Canyon Ridge began supporting Ssempa's huge campus ministry, which preaches abstinence to college students, in 2007. Odor says he does not "personally" endorse the death penalty or life sentences for gay men and lesbians. Asked why he would support someone who does, he sighs.

"We want to help the AIDS problem in Africa, and we found somebody who is making a difference," he says. "So we support him."

Odor says in March — after Canyon Ridge leaders talked to Ssempa — the Ugandan minister reversed himself and now says he favors removing the death penalty from the bill, though he still wants to criminalize homosexuality. As recently as February, Ssempa told a television interviewer: "If you do not want the death penalty for pedophiles, what punishment do you want otherwise?"

Ssempa's turnaround satisfied Odor, and he sees no reason to condemn the minister. Nor does he think he should denounce the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

"Why do we, as a church in America, need to say something about a bill in Uganda?" he asks.

Well, according to Canyon Ridge church, Martin Ssempa is a saint who has been grossly misrepresented. By the likes of people like gayuganda, who since they are gay cannot speak anything that approximates to truth, especially when it impacts a 'man of god'.

Couples or any other consenting adults who have sex through any other 'route' other than through the vagina are flouting the laws of Ghana.

This was revealed by a lawyer and criminologist, Prof. Ken Attafuah, in an interview on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Thursday.

He cited section 104 of the Criminal Code of Ghana which states that “unnatural sex”- sex through any part of the body other than through the vagina- is considered illegal.

“If two consenting adults engage in anal sex, under our law it is unnatural carnal knowledge; if married people do that, it is illegal,” he stated.

“Natural carnal knowledge is per vaginum. It is sexual intercourse between a man and a woman of adult, approved age but through the vagina. If it is through other places, then it is unnatural sex.”

That, he said, is a strict "old-fashioned" interpretation of the law.

He was speaking on the topic of homosexuality after a Joy FM documentary, 'Trapped In A Closet' explored in detail a topic which has been clouded with emotions, passions and morality.

Whilst homosexuality may also fall under unnatural sex, Prof. Attafuah maintains that the constitution guarantees the fundamental rights of the citizens, including sexual orientation, thereby creating a conundrum as to whether homosexuality is legal or not.

Seems apparent that the debate is happening in Ghana. But, compared to Uganda, it is much more balanced, and civil. Oh, Uganda is special; the un-naturalness of homosexuality is considered a truth that needs no debate... There is no other side to that discussion.

My take on this natural and un-natural sex is, let the government get out of the bedroom. That is a little too much, having police and government mandated to determine what is 'natural and un-natural' sex. Just get out of the bedrooms of consenting adults. I doubt even heterosexual married couples in Uganda would like Minister of Ethics/Integrity, Hon Buturo to tell them what to do or not to do in bed. [missionary position only, please...]

5 comments:

Your starting to edge close to the true hypocrisy generating the fear and hate...yes, what are those aledged heterosexuals doing that they fear might embarrass THEM if noted and exposed? Same as the (mostly) heterosexual pedophiles and the (mostly) heterosexual child witchburners and sex slave traders...you're getting warm, it's about the HETEROSEXUALS fear of losing face in the sexual and corrupt/vile things that they do...it's not REALLY about me and you and our sisters and brothers at all.

Heterosexual wackos who can't face the vileness of their own secrets strike out against others to protect themselves...WE are vulnerable, end of story.

Irresponsible and unaccountable cowards come to mind (as they beat their chests and wives)

You are absolutely right that governments shouldn't be in the bedroom. Last night my boyfriend and I saw the movie documentary Stonewall Uprising and it reminded me that during the mid-20th century here in the U.S. the climate of oppression against gays and lesbians was not much different than what you are experiencing in present day Uganda. http://mounthoodprojects.blogspot.com/2010/07/stonewall-uprising.html

Actually, I think logic has very little to do with it. Beliefs are often adopted simply by imitation. They are often just unexamined mental habits based on intellectual laziness and the desire to not have to think. They come from the need for hope, simplicity, certainty and belonging. Which is pretty much what faith is.

Even when logic is involved, it does not always lead to correct results. Logic applied to false data produces false results. "Garbage in, garbage out," as they say in computer programming.

"He cited section 104 of the Criminal Code of Ghana which states that “unnatural sex”- sex through any part of the body other than through the vagina- is considered illegal."

It's unfortunate, but a lot of problems are caused purely by religions like Christianity that enjoy pushing their beliefs instead of valuing the ethical treatment of one another. The Catholic church has caused immeasurable damage with its 'condoms are evil' and 'abstinence only' teachings, fundamentalist religions like Christianity and Islam push anti-gay teachings, and Christianity and its Bible were used throughout the days of slavery (and many lines in the Bible, including ones in the New Testament as spoken by Jesus support slavery by outlining things like how you're supposed to beat them). So much for being a God of love I guess.

People should be good to one another not because of fear of a God but because it's the right thing to do, and discrimination because of how you are born is wrong, period.

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